Houston mother accused of drowning, decapitating 5-year-old son

Lihui Liu, 43, was arrested and charged with capital murder in connection to her 5-year-old son Jiadong Xu’s death. (Source: Houston Police/Twitter)

December 4, 2018 at 2:07 AM CST - Updated December 4 at 11:57 AM

HOUSTON (KTRK/CNN) - A Texas mother is charged with capital murder in the death of her son after police say she stabbed and drowned the boy before putting his body in a trash can.

Lihui Liu, 43, has been denied bond after being arrested and charged with capital murder in connection to her 5-year-old son Jiadong Xu’s death.

Court documents allege Liu stabbed and drowned Jiadong. The mother reportedly confessed to the drowning in a recorded interview with authorities.

Police arrived at the family’s home Friday night on reports of a stabbing and found the boy dead. He had been decapitated.

UPDATE: Booking photo of Lihui Liu, 43, arrested & now charged with capital murder of her 5-year-old son at the family's home in 13000 block of Holly Lynn. Our officers responded to a stabbing call at the home about 7 pm last night & observed the child already deceased. #hounewspic.twitter.com/CGRHmCLbW7

Jiadong’s father and Liu’s husband, Kai Xu, told police his son was alive when he left for work Friday morning. Upon his return home, Xu couldn’t find his son, and Liu allegedly told him the boy was in the trash can.

Xu said he is devastated by Jiadong’s death and worried how his elderly parents in China will handle knowing what happened. His mother-in-law is already hospitalized in China after hearing about the charges against her daughter.

Xu also said his wife has fought depression on and off for years, but he hoped having Jiadong by her side would help.

"She loved her children. I thought having my son with her that day would put her in a good mood," he said. "But the result was terrible."

This trip, the first of two President Donald Trump is expected to make to Japan in the next six weeks, is more of a social call meant to highlight the alliance between Japan and the United States and the friendship between their leaders.